Implantable Brain Devices for Neurological Disorders Treatment
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Engineering
Abstract
Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by the progressive damage of some brain areas, which results in an abnormal functioning of the brain. To date, epilepsy affects 50 million people worldwide, 8-millions of whom live in Europe.
This project will study the implantable microelectronic devices for temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of epilepsy, which can be resistant to current pharmacological therapies. Temporal lobe epilepsy affects areas of the brain that are involved in learning, memory and emotions, such as the hippocampus.
This project will aim to rebuild the part of the hippocampus damaged by this form of epilepsy. Researcher will generate hippocampal tissue in the laboratory and develop a neuromorphic neuroprosthesis - an electronic device that mimics the normal function of the brain's neurons.
The two components - one biological and the other artificial - will be implanted in the damaged brain area in an animal model with the aim of rebuilding the damaged hippocampus. The neuromorphic neuroprosthesis will be equipped with artificial intelligence to guide the implanted tissue towards the correct integration within the brain.
Eve McGlynn from the University of Glasgow will work to make the microelectronic chip implantable into the brain. Her research project involves the fabrication and encapsulation of implantable neural probes for recording and brain stimulation. She will investigate and develop the biocompatible materials to accommodate the miniaturized microelectronics as well as the fabrication of the final implantable chip. Furthermore, she will introduce antennas into the neural implants to realize a fully wireless implantable neural device.
From the biological perspective, materials used in devices and substrates for implants must be composed of materials that are bioinert depending on the requirements, and biocompatible with respect to their ability to demonstrate appropriate responses in specific situations. However, this characteristic depends on the type of material used. One challenge in the selection of biomaterials for use in these implantable devices is the consideration of the areas in which the materials are being positioned within the body.
Although various materials have been developed in recent years with enhanced physical, surface and mechanical properties, the use of these materials in certain biological applications is often limited by poor tissue integration. So, the question is on how biomaterials can be converted to 'living tissues' after implantation.
Emerging nanobiotechnology is revolutionizing our capability to resolve biological and medical problems by developing subtle biomimetic techniques. The use of nanoscale materials is expected to increase dramatically in many applications of medicine and surgery. It is interesting to note that the size of these nanomaterials is comparable to many biological systems and so there is large scope for biointegration. Additionally, nanomaterials exhibit fundamentally different properties from their properties in bulk, such that they can be tailor-made to provide properties to suit a specific application. Significant advancements are expected to achieve the desired goals and their clinical use, especially in areas such as nanostructured coatings and other nanobiomaterials.
Eve will investigate the development of a plasma-polymerization strategy for coating of neural implants with thin layers (~ 300 nm) of poly (ethyl acrylate) (PEA). PEA is a polymer with a low hydrophilicity, elastomeric at body temperature. Its Young modulus is close to those of soft biological tissues. Such thin coating will enable her to make the characteristics dimensions of a neural implant smaller (low bending stiffness) so that these implants will not cause any inflammation after implantation.
This project will study the implantable microelectronic devices for temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of epilepsy, which can be resistant to current pharmacological therapies. Temporal lobe epilepsy affects areas of the brain that are involved in learning, memory and emotions, such as the hippocampus.
This project will aim to rebuild the part of the hippocampus damaged by this form of epilepsy. Researcher will generate hippocampal tissue in the laboratory and develop a neuromorphic neuroprosthesis - an electronic device that mimics the normal function of the brain's neurons.
The two components - one biological and the other artificial - will be implanted in the damaged brain area in an animal model with the aim of rebuilding the damaged hippocampus. The neuromorphic neuroprosthesis will be equipped with artificial intelligence to guide the implanted tissue towards the correct integration within the brain.
Eve McGlynn from the University of Glasgow will work to make the microelectronic chip implantable into the brain. Her research project involves the fabrication and encapsulation of implantable neural probes for recording and brain stimulation. She will investigate and develop the biocompatible materials to accommodate the miniaturized microelectronics as well as the fabrication of the final implantable chip. Furthermore, she will introduce antennas into the neural implants to realize a fully wireless implantable neural device.
From the biological perspective, materials used in devices and substrates for implants must be composed of materials that are bioinert depending on the requirements, and biocompatible with respect to their ability to demonstrate appropriate responses in specific situations. However, this characteristic depends on the type of material used. One challenge in the selection of biomaterials for use in these implantable devices is the consideration of the areas in which the materials are being positioned within the body.
Although various materials have been developed in recent years with enhanced physical, surface and mechanical properties, the use of these materials in certain biological applications is often limited by poor tissue integration. So, the question is on how biomaterials can be converted to 'living tissues' after implantation.
Emerging nanobiotechnology is revolutionizing our capability to resolve biological and medical problems by developing subtle biomimetic techniques. The use of nanoscale materials is expected to increase dramatically in many applications of medicine and surgery. It is interesting to note that the size of these nanomaterials is comparable to many biological systems and so there is large scope for biointegration. Additionally, nanomaterials exhibit fundamentally different properties from their properties in bulk, such that they can be tailor-made to provide properties to suit a specific application. Significant advancements are expected to achieve the desired goals and their clinical use, especially in areas such as nanostructured coatings and other nanobiomaterials.
Eve will investigate the development of a plasma-polymerization strategy for coating of neural implants with thin layers (~ 300 nm) of poly (ethyl acrylate) (PEA). PEA is a polymer with a low hydrophilicity, elastomeric at body temperature. Its Young modulus is close to those of soft biological tissues. Such thin coating will enable her to make the characteristics dimensions of a neural implant smaller (low bending stiffness) so that these implants will not cause any inflammation after implantation.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/R513222/1 | 01/10/2018 | 30/09/2023 | |||
| 2279645 | Studentship | EP/R513222/1 | 01/10/2019 | 30/06/2023 | Eve McGlynn |
| Description | The aim of this project is to design and fabricate an electrode which can be implanted into the brain for extended periods of time, in order to stimulate brain tissue and prevent abnormal activity such as epileptic seizures. Any implant in the body is at risk of infection or scarring, as it is not familiar to the body's immune system. So far, this project has yielded a microfabrication protocol to create an electrode made from flexible polyimide polymer, which stands a better chance of avoiding negative reactions from the body. |
| Exploitation Route | This process uses types of polyimides which can be patterned using exposure to ultra-violet light. These are not commonly employed in polyimide-based neural probes, but represent an opportunity to simplify the fabrication process. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |
| Description | APS Webinar - BioMEMS devices as biosensors, drug delivery systems and injectable devices |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Members of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences attended this online talk in which I explained my project and how it may be transferred to the clinic. As they were not from an engineering background they were interested to hear about the design and fabrication process. There was discussion of active surfaces, e.g. for drug delivery. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.apsgb.co.uk/event/emerging-technologies-2021/ |